From one photography collector to another: a venue for thoughtful discussion of vintage and contemporary photography via reviews of recent museum exhibitions, gallery shows, photography auctions, photo books, art fairs and other items of interest to photography collectors large and small.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Auction Results: Photographs, May 16, 2009 @Phillips London

While the material at Phillips' recent London Photographs sale was fresher and more contemporary than some of the other sales this season, the results were still in line with the prevailing market realities: a buy-in rate in the mid thirties and total proceeds under the total Low estimate. It seems cautious, conservative buyers continue to be the norm, regardless of the type of material on offer.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 170Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: £1018700Pre Sale High Total Estimate: £1462600

90.48% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, with 29.52% above. There were plenty of surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate), especially on the lower priced lots. These included: